Survivors
by Gohan Roxas
Summary: Imagine finding a USB filled with video diaries. Diaries made by survivors of a terrible plague. Imagine no more. Post-Apocalyptic AU. TerQua, SoKai, RikuShi. Rated T for language and themes. Reader's POV.
1. Terra's Diary: 1

You plug in the USB to the battered old computer and open it. The file 'Diaries' is the only thing on it. You click on the folder to reveal numerous video files, their names only numbers; one, two etc.

You click on the file named '1'.

_A tall, well-built man with short brown hair and deep blue eyes settles in front of the camera. It's like he's looking straight into your soul._

_ "My name is Terra Leonhart," he tells you, "and this is my video diary." He sighs. "It's been 74 days since the Incident. Since that idiot Dr Xehanort released that virus that wiped out most of humanity. How cliché is that? Then again, this was a different kind of virus to what you see in the movies. The Geostigma Virus. He worked on it with that crackpot Hojo." Here he paused. "I'm actually glad that guy got whacked by his own son." He didn't look proud of the fact. "Anyway, only a certain few survived. People who had some…some natural immunity to the Virus. Luckily my brother and I were among them." He clenched his fists. "My parents were outta town, so I have no idea whether they're alive or not. The whole city's been quarantined." _

_Here he grabbed a framed picture and held it up to the camera; you see a younger version of the man, as well as a toddler and two adults: one who looks very similar to Terra, the other with long dark hair and brown eyes. "This was taken about thirteen years ago. I was ten, my brother, Sora…" He points at the toddler. "…was three." He pointed to the adults. "That's my mom and dad, Squall and Rinoa. Dad used to be in the army, but he retired after he found out Mom was pregnant with Sora."_

_ He smiles at you, or rather, the camera. "I'm making this just in case something happens to me or Sora. My old friend Axel always used to be telling people his name and saying 'Got it memorized?' afterwards. When I asked him about it, he said, 'If people remember me, I can be immortal.' So I'm making this. Not so I can be immortal. Just…so somebody can remember me."_

_ He looks around suddenly; you hear a faint voice. "I'm coming, bro!" Terra calls. He looks back to the camera. "Sorry. Duty calls. If anyone's watching this…" He gave a sardonic salute and a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

The video ends.


	2. Aqua's Diary: Introductions & Meetings

You spy a second USB lying near the computer; curious, you plug it in as well. It, too, contains only a folder named 'Diaries'. The names, however, are more creative, though they do include numbers to indicate the order in which they should be watched.

You double-click on the video called '01 Introductions & Meetings'.

_The camera is shaky, presumably being held by someone. It points at an auburn-haired teenager who is calmly cutting up vegetables. "Say hi, sis," a woman's voice says from behind the camera._

_ The teenager pauses in her chopping and waved, a grin on her face. The camerawoman laughs._

_ The video cuts to a blue-haired woman with deep blue eyes smiling kindly. You can't help but like her._

_ "My name is Aqua Branford," she tells you. "If you're watching this, then I guess it means you're a nice person who cares about people." She chuckles slightly at her own joke. "I live here with my little sister Kairi – who you met before – and a young couple named Riku and Xion. Apparently Kairi used to go to school with them before…before it happened." A tear rolls down her pretty face._

_ "They're nice people," she says after a pause in which she collects her thoughts. "Riku's protective, and Xion's just so cute. She's fit in like she's our long-lost sister." She smiles again; you can't help but smile as well. It's infectious._

_ "Before all this happened, I was at college. I was doing a double degree in Performing Arts. I love to act, and I sing and dance too." She laughs at a memory. "I once did Fantine in _Le Misérables_." She looks back at you. "Anyway, Mom and Uncle Locke, who helped look after us, went out of town for work when this…this thing happened." Her eyes clouded over again. "I hope they're alright."_

_ A tear fell again. "I'm going out into the city tomorrow. The people enforcing the quarantine tell us not to, but I have to get stuff for us to live on. We don't have much." She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I'll meet someone," she says with a laugh._

_ Her tears increased. "D-don't think I'm a cry-baby," she said sternly, albeit between sobs. "I used to learn martial arts with my best friend Tifa." She chuckled. "I was almost as good as her, too."_

_ She looked around. "I better go. I'll see you tomorrow, nice person."_

The media player asks, "Would you like to play this video again?" You click 'exit'.


	3. Terra's Diary: 2

You return to Terra's video diaries and double-click on the file marked '2'.

_The camera is immediately on Terra. He's smiling, but his eyes are serious. "I can't believe I'm about to do this. Sora's desperate for me to buy some stupid stuffed moogle or something. So I'm gonna break quarantine and go to the only open market in the city." He chuckles. "I still can't believe that people are selling things they might need to live on. Anyway, while I'm looking for this moogle doll – Sora's sixteen, for God's sake – I'm gonna get some more supplies. We need more food, so I may as well get something useful outta this thing."_

_ He pauses. "I guess I better explain this whole plague thing. The Geostigma Virus is an extremely contagious airborne virus that almost always kills. The first symptom is black sores on the skin. As soon as those show up, you know you're dead."_

_ His eyes glaze over. "My…" Terra clears his throat. "My friend Axel was one of the first to get it. I…" He seems to be on the verge of tears. "I watched him slowly die. There's no cure for Geostigma, so me and Axel's family had to watch him die from a distance." His fists clench._

_ Eventually Terra breaks out of the sorrowful reverie and looks back at the camera. "Well, that's all I have to say. Unless something amazing or horrible happens, you won't see me 'til tomorrow, so…" He gives his – what you assume to be – characteristic salute. "Bye."_

You're about to return to Aqua's diaries when you realise that next to Terra's second diary entry is a video called '2.5'. Curious, you open it.

_Terra's eyes are shining with a life they didn't have in the last entry, and his smile is real. "So I got the moogle doll – I still don't know why Sora needs it – and I got some supplies. And…" He chuckles. "You're never gonna believe this. I met a girl. I know it sounds like a cheesy thing from a crappy rom-com, but I did. She told me her name's Aqua Branford, and she's a little like me. She's taking care of her sister like I'm taking care of Sora. I offered for her and her sister to come here tomorrow so we could chat." He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they'll stay here." He broke off. "Okay, that sounded a little creepy, but, you know what I mean." Without even saluting, he turns off the camera._


End file.
